The
biggest factor in the emotional health of most women is something
that you have probably learned to deal with by now. You might not
even notice stress anymore, but it still has a huge impact on your
life. In order to stay emotionally healthy, keep the following
things in mind. Although you can’t avoid stress altogether,
you can find healthy and effective ways to manage it. If symptoms
associated with stress persist and interfere with your ability
to concentrate or perform, talk to your provider about alternative
options and personal guidance.

Stress is the reaction that occurs
in your body in response to a change in your environment. This
response can be mental, emotional
or physical. And it can be a reaction to a deadline, a thought, a
dangerous situation—nearly anything. Women today are constantly
dealing with stress. Whether you are pushing forward in your career,
working on your education, raising children, planning a holiday get
together, reading the newspaper, or juggling any number of different
tasks—stress is on your mind. Sometimes stress is “good,” meaning
that it might be a healthy response to a situation that challenges
you to find solutions to problems, or to work more efficiently. This
type of welcome, motivational stress is called eustress. However,
there is also a negative stress called “distress” that
causes unwelcome and potentially harmful responses in your body.
Did you ever notice that after a long period of high-stress situations
you can feel run-down or sick? That is an example of the health risks
associated with too much stress. And in the world of the modern woman,
there might be no way to avoid stress other than to learn the best
way of dealing with it, and find balance where you can. Acute stress
is a reaction to one, contained situation, such as a near accident
or an argument. Chronic stress is related to long-term stressful
situations, such as a bad relationship or a demanding job.

Too much
stress may have adverse effects on your body, which contribute
to short-term sickness and even long-term health problems. Some
stress
is a prolonged experience of the biological reaction in your body
that has been characterized as “flight or fight.” This
means that your blood pressure increases to allow blood to flow to
your brain, your blood sugar rises, your blood flows to muscles instead
of the digestive system, kidney and liver, your alertness increases
and your heart rate quickens. These are responses that evolved in
humans over many millions of years to help the body respond to a
potential attack, and to survive. Today these responses to modern
pressures in the home or office are not necessarily useful. Stress
instead contributes to headaches, high overall blood pressure, nausea,
chest pain and sleeping problems. Stress has been linked with the
worsening of already existent diseases and conditions. So, if you
are already sick, too much stress won’t help your body heal,
and could make you feel worse.

Learn how to control your stress levels
in order to prevent the negative effects on your health, and incorporate
stress management techniques
into your life if you notice chronic stress patterns. You can always
talk to your provider about how your stress level is affecting
your health. Remember that some of the best ways to combat stress
are
to promote a healthy lifestyle, through diet, exercise and rest.